CDC vs. Anti-Vaxxers: "Delta Variant Becoming Pandemic for the Unvaccinated"

Tucker Carlson said: “Just say no”

(So did Rep. Taylor Greene, Boebert, Buck et al) 

Timely subject in view of the latest virus mutant, “the Delta variant” now spreading faster than ever and the anti-vaxxer crowd is growing just as fast. This timely article comes from NPR with this headline key Q&A excerpts from the story follow. (Refer to NPR article for full info):

“With the Delta Variant Spreading Fast, is it Time to Mask Up Again”

After declining steeply for six months, coronavirus cases are once again on the rise, thanks to the delta variant. The CDC recently reported that new cases are up by nearly 70% in just a week, and hospitalizations are up by nearly 36%.

Surges are most pronounced in areas where vaccination rates are low, but there are also increases in places such as Los Angeles and New York City. And health officials are once again urgently pressing unvaccinated Americans to get the shot.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the Friday briefing (July 16): “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated. If you remain unvaccinated, you are at risk.”

But if you're already vaccinated, how worried should you be? Are new precautions called for? Here's what to know about the fast-spreading variant and how to stay safe and protect others.

1. How much more contagious is the delta variant, really? Very. As NPR has reported, delta appears to be about 225% more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 strains. One recent preprint study from China found that people who are infected with delta have — on average — about 1,000 times more copies of the virus in their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain, and are infectious earlier in the course of their illness. No matter how you look at it, delta seems to spread faster, explains Helen Chu, associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington.

2. If I'm vaccinated, can I get sick with delta? Yes, but don't panic.

The vaccines are effective against the delta variant, and though it's still possible to get infected, the vaccines dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness that leads to hospitalization or death.

A study from the U.K. found that the Pfizer vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalization from the delta variant after two doses. For context, the CDC has documented a total of 5,492 cases of fully vaccinated people who were hospitalized or died from COVID-19, among the 160 million people have been fully vaccinated in this country.

3. What about long COVID-19? While the risk of getting sick if you're vaccinated is very low, if you do get a symptomatic case, it's likely still possible to end up with long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, according to virologist Angela Rasmussen who works with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. She notes the data is still quite limited though, adding: “Even if you don't end up in the hospital, there's certainly a possibility that you could end up with long COVID. So, the safest thing to do is to avoid being infected altogether.”

4. Should I go back to wearing a mask in public? Many health experts say that may be a smart move, especially when you're going to be indoors with people who may be unvaccinated and unmasked. “I would,” says Chu of the University of Washington, adding: “I haven't stopped masking indoors. Everyone makes their own risk assessment. But with delta cases increasing, it would be prudent to start doing indoor masking again, particularly as we head into fall.”

Masking may especially make sense in places with rising rates of infection, says Bill Miller, a physician and epidemiologist at The Ohio State University. It's clear that unvaccinated people are not following the recommended indoor-masking guidelines, he notes: “You go into a grocery store and 95% of the people are unmasked when we haven't come close to that level of vaccination.” 

This can put people at risk, including children, and people who are immunocompromised. Miller says he continues to wear a mask in public places, even though he's fully vaccinated.

He says: “I know that I am extremely unlikely to get seriously ill. But I also know that if I am exposed, I may become infected and pass it on to others.”

5. Do I need a booster shot? At this point, no. So far the federal government doesn't recommend booster shots to enhance immunity, though it is actively studying the question. “The CDC and the FDA are working very hard to get as much data as they possibly can to adequately address that question,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told NPR's Here & Now this week. 

Federal health officials and vaccine makers continue to follow participants enrolled in the initial clinical trials to see how well immunity holds up with current vaccinations. So far, experts say it's encouraging.

6. Does delta cause different COVID-19 symptoms? Maybe. Some doctors and public health departments have reported that people infected with delta have different symptoms from the original, classic signs of COVID-19: cough, loss of taste or smell, and fever. Now, some of the more common symptoms appear to be runny nose, sore throat, and headache, according to the ZOE COVID Study, an ongoing app-based research project based in the U.K. But Chu warns that it's hard to know what's behind that apparent change: “Because the population that it's infecting is not the same population that was infected in the prior waves. The people getting sick now tend to be much younger.”

7. Do I need those bleach wipes again? No extra surface cleaning necessary. Even though it's more transmissible, delta still transmits the same way the original SARS-CoV-2 virus does. Chu says: “This type of virus, which is an RNA virus that is enveloped, tends to transmit [through] respiratory transmission.”

8. Should I turn down invitations to weddings and other large gatherings? Many public health experts say it's safe to attend if you're vaccinated, but keep the variant in mind, especially if you're somewhere with rising cases.

OSU's Bill Miller says he encourages mask wearing for an indoor wedding or event saying: “Because you're bringing people together from different social networks, creating a great opportunity for an outbreak.”

9. What about kids? Can kids get infected and spread delta? Yes. Although children tend to have more mild cases of coronavirus, they are certainly susceptible to infection. Children remain the least protected age group, since the vaccine is not authorized for children under the age of 12. It's possible that children who get infected with the delta variant might have more symptoms than they would if they were infected with an earlier version of the virus. With a more transmissible variant, Chu says: “When someone gets sick they tend to have more virus and they tend to have more symptoms.” 

My 2 Cents: The B/L as expressed most if not all doctors is simple: Spreading this virus is preventable. So, get vaccinated unless you have a doctor’s permission otherwise – that is not only sound medical advice, but it’s common sense as well.

Thanks for stopping by.